Hoops Nerd

Clash of the Titans (the matchup between two teams with the highest combined Hoops Nerd Rating): Creighton (+12.7) lost at Xavier (+17.5), 79-66. On the court, Xavier point guard Drew Lavender controlled the game, with 10 assists and an 84.6 effective field goal percentage, taking 13 shots in 25 minutes. Off the court, it was a sad and tragic day in Omaha, Nebraska (home to Creighton).

The Poison Cupcake (the night's biggest upset): Iowa, an 11.5 point underdog, beat Northern Iowa, 62-55 in Cedar Falls. That the Hawkeyes best win of the season occurred on the same date as Tony Freeman's return from injury is no coincidence; with Adam Haluska's graduation and Tyler Smith's transfer, Freeman was to be Iowa's most prolific returnee this season. To wit: Freeman was 3 for 3 from three point range, with 5 for 7 overall shooting (good for 15 points) in only 24 minutes last night.

Superman Wears Dominique Jones Pajamas (the night's top performer): South Florida's freshman guard put up some gaudy superficial numbers against Richmond, which is rare because a Spiders game usually includes too few possessions for that sort of thing. Last night, however, the game was played at a 67.8 possession pace, which was obviously the Bulls dictation. In any event, here are some of Jones' tempo-free numbers:

Dominique Jones 12/5 vs. Richmond
Effective Field Goal Percentage: 87.5
Points per Weighted Shot: 1.83
Defensive Rebounding Percentage: 31.6
Free Throw Rate: 75.0